On May 26, 2023, a significant incident occurred at Frankfurt International Airport, involving the security measures in place for the protection of a federal chancellor. Despite these precautions, a 48-year-old man managed to follow the security convoy of Olaf Scholz into the restricted area on the runway. To the surprise of the security personnel, the man was found to be a harmless citizen who decided to embrace Scholz before his arrest. The case was eventually brought to court two years later, resulting in a fine and a driver’s license suspension for the man.
The incident sparked a media debate on the security measures for the chancellor. The newspaper Bild titled their article “Shock on the runway! – Man SNAPS the Chancellor.” A local driver had spontaneously joined the chancellor’s convoy and managed to reach the airport grounds, ultimately getting close enough to embrace Scholz before being apprehended by the Bundespolice without resistance.
Scholz expressed his casual attitude towards the incident during a press conference, stating, “I’m not particularly impressed when people greet me and say good morning. I didn’t find this situation dramatic either. The police are doing a good job and I feel safe in their hands.”
Two years later, the “Scholz Hugger” was required to appear in court despite his previous acts of goodwill. The HS article explains the reasoning behind the punishment, stating, “A man who drove behind the convoy of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) all the way to the runway at the airport was sentenced to 4,500 euros in fines and a two-and-a-half-year driving ban by the district court on Tuesday. He was convicted of endangering traffic and violating the peace of the domicile.”
During the trial, the offender admitted to being under the influence of drugs, specifically mentioning that he had consumed cocaine and had not slept for two days prior to the incident. According to Spiegel information, crack was also involved. The offender stated that he hallucinated during the incident and believed that the cars were “friendly.” He also claimed that he wanted to make music with Scholz. The BKA personnel were able to apprehend the offender without any issues.